Equipment front end modules (EFEMs), sometimes referred to as factory interfaces (FIs), provide a non-reactive environment for transferring substrates from carriers to processing tools. This is achieved by sealing the interior volume of the EFEM as much as is practical and flooding the interior volume with a gas such as nitrogen that is generally non-reactive with substrate materials. The non-reactive gas forces out any reactive gases such as oxygen from the EFEM. A load port for docking a substrate carrier is typically attached to the front face of an EFEM. The load port includes a backplane that ideally is sealed against the face of the EFEM. However, it can be difficult to reliably seal a conventional backplane against the EFEM. Thus, what is needed are systems, apparatus, and methods for an improved load port backplane.